Obama agenda: A deeply pessimistic public

Here’s our take on the new NBC/WSJ poll: “One year out before President Barack Obama faces voters in his bid for re-election, he encounters an American public that remains deeply pessimistic about the state of the country and its economy… Nearly three-quarters of respondents believe the nation is headed in the wrong direction; just 25 percent think the U.S. economy will improve in the next 12 months; and a solid majority says the country is experiencing the start of a long-term decline.”

More: “Yet despite those views, Obama continues to run ahead of the Republican presidential front-runners in hypothetical general-election match ups — leading former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by six points and former businessman Herman Cain by 15 points.”

Here’s the Wall Street Journal’s take: The poll “has found an electorate that is convinced the country's economic structures favor an affluent elite and is still deeply torn as to whether President Barack Obama or any of his leading Republican rivals can pull the nation out of decline.”

Open-mic night: “During the three minutes of conversation broadcasted to present reporters and politicians, Obama first criticized Sarkozy for backing the Palestinian bid for statehood in Unesco, and later Sarkozy let his personal dislike for Netanyahu out of the bag,” the New York Daily News writes. “‘I cannot stand him. He's a liar,’ Sarkozy was clearly heard saying. Obama's quick retort wasn't flattering, either. ‘You're fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day!’ Obama said.

“The White House is not expected to comply with a subpoena issued by House Republicans for documents related to the $535 million loan guarantee to the failed solar firm Solyndra,” The Hill reports.

“Attorney General Eric Holder says an investigation of arms traffickers called Operation Fast and Furious was flawed in concept as well as in execution, never should have happened and ‘it must never happen again,’” AP reports.